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VII/ll] J. L. RITTER. FREIGHT GAR DOOR. No. 436,505. Patented Sept. 16, 1890 \\\\\\\\\\\\\\L" i P @GYM 21H-@991315,

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(No Model.)

j Y UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

JOHN L. RITTER, OF SHENANDOAH, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO J. I. BROWN, OF SAME PLACE.

FREIGHT-CAR DOOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 436,505, dated September 16, 1890.

Application filed April 9, 1890. Serial No. 347,193. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, t may concern:

Be it known that` I, JOHN L. RITTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Shenandoah, in the county of Page and State of Virginia, have invented a new and useful Freight- Car Door, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to freight-car doors, and more particularly to mechanism for opening and closing the same.

The objects of the invention are to provide an exceedingly simple and cheap mechanism for withdrawing the door from its opening, whereby the same may be slid to one side upon the track upon which the door is hung and for closing the door within its openings, and, furthermore, to provide means for conveniently lockingthe door after such closing.

With the above objects in view the invention consists in certainfeatures of construction hereinafter specified, and .particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figures 1 and 2 are side elevations of freight-cars, the doors of which are hung in accordance with my invention, the former figure showing the door closed and locked and the latter figure showing the same open. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section, the doorbeing locked and closed. Fig. 4 is a similar View, the door being open.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 designates the side of a freight-car, which is provided at its center with the usual dooropening 2. Above the door-opening 2, and supported in the series of brackets 3, is the horizontal track rod or bar 4, upon which the door is hung and adapted to travel. Below the dooropening there is arranged an L- shaped bracket 5, and mounted for sliding in the bracket is the door 6.

Upon the track 4 is mounted a pair of rollers 7, the sheaves or frames 8 of which are of to takeover a staple 12, projecting from the door, and be lockedA against withdrawal by means of an ordinary padlock or pin 13. The upper end of the rod 10 is provided with a laterally-projecting crank-arm 14:, the free end of which has projecting upwardly therefrom a bearing stud or pin 15, the upper end of the stud passing through and swiveled in an opening 16, formed in the lower portion of the front sheaf 8.

The rear sheaf 8 is provided with an eye 17 upon its front face, and the upper rear corner of the door is provided with a plate 18, having an eye 19 corresponding to the eye 17 of the sheaf and slightly above the same. The two eyes are loosely connected by means of a double crank-shaped hanger 20, the opposite cranked ends forming bearings for and taking into the eyes 19 and 17 of the door and sheaf, respectively.

The lower rear corner of the door-opening has projecting thereover a keeper 21, and the front lower corner of the door is provided with an L-shaped wedge or button 22, pivoted, as at 23, to the door, and when the door is closed and iiush with the wall of the car said wedge is designed to be forced down into position between the face of the door and the inner face of the L-shaped bracket 5. When, however, the door is to be opened and withdrawn from its opening, previous to such opening the wedge 22 is swung up and over against a stop 24, inserted in the door.

Taking the parts in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3, to open the door the following operation take's place: The lower L or angular portion of the operating-rod 10 is first disconnected from the staple 12 and swung to the opposite side of its pivot, in which movement the pin 15 acts as a fulcrum and the door is withdrawn laterally from its opening. After it has cleared the wall of the car the door is slid to one side, the rollers or wheels 7 moving upon the track-bar after the usual fashion. To close and lock the door, the operation is simply reversed, 'the door first being' sition, the keeper 2l and the binding button or Wedge 22 serve to maintain the lower end of the door snugly Within its opening. The particular construction of the upperrear hinge serves to facilitate the withdrawal of the door from its opening and prevent any binding whatever of the door and its parts in such Withdrawal.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is# l. The combination, with the car the side wall of which is provided with the opening, the track-rod arranged above the opening, and the brackets for supporting the same, of the door fitting the opening, the'rollers mounted upon the track-rod and provided with depending U-shaped sheaves or hangers, the keepers secured to the door, the crank-rod mounted in the keepers and having its lower end adapted to be locked to the door and provided atl its upper end with a crank-arm secured thereto, and a pin secured to the crank-arm and projecting above the sameand swiveled in the lower portion of the front sheaf, the rear sheaf having the eye, and the plate having the eye secured to the rear end of the door, the eye of the plate being arranged above the eye of the sheaf, and the oppositelycranked connecting-bar the ends of which connect the eyes, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, with the side Wall of the car provided with a door-opening, a trackbar above the same, and rollers mounted upon the track-bar and having depending sheaves or frames, of adoor connected to the frames or sheaves of the rollers, an L-shaped bracket secured to the wall of the car below the opening, and an L-shaped wedge pivoted to the door and adapted to be swung int a binding position between the surface of the door and 4o In testimony that I claim the foregoing as 45 my own l have hereto aflixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN L. RITTER.

Witnesses:

J. H. SIGGnRs, R. F. TAYLOR. 

